


A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

by ProwlingThunder



Series: The Everlasting List of Shenanigans [15]
Category: Yoroiden Samurai Troopers | Ronin Warriors
Genre: Art for coping, Coping mechanism, Dealing with Nightmares, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-29
Updated: 2014-04-29
Packaged: 2018-01-21 05:03:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1538603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProwlingThunder/pseuds/ProwlingThunder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt!Fill.</p><p>Yamano Asuka might not remember what happened, but she knows something happened. Yulie isn't her little boy anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was "Art Class"

There is a huge gap in her memory; the authorities say it was something in the water, the whole city has amnesia for the missing time.

 

But Asuka thinks it's less something in the water and more something that happened, because her little boy clings to her when she opens the door. He holds her and he refuses to let go, like she might vanish in the air. And then, after forever, Haruto steps out from the kitchen where he was pouring coffee, and their Yulie goes to hug his father-- and Asuka is certain she sees tears.

 

Something happened, and whatever it was it wounded her little boy to the bone. From that day onward he's more quiet, but he always finds excuses to be around them. He helps her with her plants, helps her in the kitchen, and tries to find something to do with his father that a child can do. Haruto doesn't seem to notice; it's all Asuka can see.

 

Yulie has grown up, in the gap between her memories.

 

There is nothing more precious and heartbreaking for a mother.

 

School starts again, eventually. Asuka makes his lunch while he gets ready, then walks him to school; she has no work today. When she goes to pick him up one of the teachers is standing with him; he wears a bright new shiner on his left eye.

 

Asuka forgets the conversation as soon as it ends. Yulie, simply too proud for a child who was in a fight, walks with his head held high and his jaw squared. Haruto did have work today, and so he is not home when they arrive; Yulie sits in the kitchen and starts unfolding his homework while Asuka makes him dinner and tries to figure out what to say.

 

In the end they don't talk about it.

 

And then one day she's cleaning his room-- light things, vacuuming, dusting. Since the gap, Yulie has been remarkably persistent in cleaning his own space.

 

She finds a bloody shirt hidden under his bed. It's more a stain than fresh blood, old, like he tried to wash it out himself, a long time ago. Asuka unfolds it on the covers and waits for him to come home. When he sees what she's found, he gets quiet and a little sad, and hugs her like he did the day she woke up.

 

It takes months for her to recognize the look in his eyes; older, haunted.

 

Eyes too old to belong to a child.

 

He made friends in the gap-- with adults. A young teacher at a college, a Miss Koji. A couple of high school boys who live in different cities. They call every few days, one or another. Sometimes letters arrive in the mail.

 

Occasionally Yulie will ask her what a word is. But usually he works through them and replies alone.

 

It takes a year before either her or her husband notice that Yulie wears jewelry. Their relationship is slowly strained by the gap in their memories; Haruto has pretended nothing has happened. Asuka can't let it go that easily. So when Haruto sees the necklace, the anger doesn't so much surprise her as it startles. Because for all their problems, she never thought it would be directed at their son.

 

But men don't wear jewelry.

 

She rescues the strange red jewel from the garbage, and the three glass beads, and she finds a strong string from her sewing kit to put it back together. When she goes to give it back to her son, she hears him on the phone instead.

 

“...Mia.. I'm worried.”

 

Adults get worried. Children get scared.

 

Asuka puts it in his lunch for the next day instead.

 

A month later a familiar teenager with black hair and blue eyes is standing at her door. Yulie is at school, Haruto at work. He introduces himself as Ryou, a friend of Yulie. Asks if he can come in, and Asuka makes tea while Ryou weaves a story so incredible it's impossible to believe.

 

When she tells him that, Ryou smiles. “Yeah. I know. And you don't have to believe it, either, Mrs Yamano. But Yulie said you changed, after the war. He's worried for you. I thought this might help. He's a good kid.”  
  
He is, but Asuka thinks there's hardly a child left, in the place where her son had been.

 

After the conversation and tea, Ryou leaves. Haruto goes on a work trip, Yulie goes to stay with Miss Koji for a week.

 

Asuka has nightmares about things that are impossible, instead of nightmares about things she can't remember.

 

When Miss Koji brings Yulie home, she also brings an empty art pad, and hands it to Asuka. “Just think about it,” she says. “Sometimes it helps.”  
  
Asuka took classes as a child. She wanted to be an artist, before she got married. It feels strange to have the chance at it, the idea. But she picks up the pencil and starts sketching. Miraculously, it really does help. Monsters are less real in the waking world.


End file.
